


An Unexpected Encounter

by Servena



Series: Witchkeeper [5]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Captivity, Clothing, Cookies, Gen, Gifts, Kindness, M/M, Magic, Magic-Users, Mute!Gene, Muteness, Past Abuse, Slavery, Witchcraft, Witches, Witchkeeper!Babe, witch!gene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-22 15:50:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20876762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Servena/pseuds/Servena
Summary: “Find something you like, beautiful?”





	An Unexpected Encounter

He’s going through a rack of tunics in beautiful colors when a voice startles him out of his thoughts. “Find something you like, beautiful?”

He turns around quickly and finds that the stand owner, an old woman a whole head smaller than himself, is standing right behind him. He didn’t hear her approach, and now that he’s looking at her he can immediately tell there’s something off about her.

He’s sure she can’t see the witch mark and the bracelet on his wrist since it’s hidden by his long sleeves (which is technically against regulations, but out here very few people care), but she still knows what he is, of that he is certain. And when he takes a breath through his nose, he thinks that he can smell a hint of something sharper behind the smell of lavender that permeates the whole stand.

Not a witch, he deduces quickly, not a proper one anyway, but one with at least one witch in her ancestry. She probably carries enough magic to cast some minor fortune spells with the right tools but not enough to stand out during the check-ups. Only another witch like himself could sniff her out.

She‘s not a real threat to him, even half-bound as he is. Still he can’t help but be on edge. If he’s misjudged her, there could be consequences.

“We’re not going to have a problem with each other, are we?” she asks softly.

Slowly, he shakes his head.

“Alright. Do you want a cookie?” She gives him a kind smile. He almost gets whiplash from how quickly she transforms back into a nice old lady, her sharp edges once more carefully concealed.

He probably shouldn’t, but his curiosity gets the better of him, so he follows her towards the stand at the back. It’s been so long since he met another magic user that didn’t react to him with indifference or open hostility. He watches her dive behind the stand and actually procure a jar of cookies which she opens to hand him one. Her eyes rest on his bracelet as his sleeves slip up to accept the offering. “Poor thing”, she mumbles. “I wish I could do something for you.”

‘It’s not that bad anymore’, he wants to tell her, but there’s only so much you can convey with a look. Instead he carefully sniffs at the cookie before taking a bite, tasting the sweetness of the sugar and just a hint of vanilla.

“There you are”, the voice of his master says behind him. He stops with the half-finished cookie halfway to his mouth, but he doesn’t get scolded like he expects. “I thought I lost you. Which shouldn’t be possible, but, you know.”

The old woman runs an attentive gaze over Babe. “This is your witch?”

Babe grins brightly. “Sure is. Sorry if he was any trouble.”

“Oh no, he’s been a good boy”, the woman says quickly. Babe’s eyebrows move up in surprise. Usually people don’t take that well to a witch wandering around by itself. “In fact, I think I’d have a minor request, if it isn’t too much trouble.”

“Sure”, Babe says. “We’re not in a hurry.”

In the end he’s simply fixing some rips in the plane overhead, which only requires his free hand and which he’s pretty sure she could’ve done better with a needle and a thread. “I don’t have much money, I’m afraid”, she says afterwards, “but maybe he could pick himself something out? He looks like he’s in need of something new.”

The moment Babe turns away, she winks at him. Of course she had seen him go through the racks earlier, the way he had touched the soft fabrics and marveled at the intense colors. But now that he actually gets to choose something, he’s too overwhelmed to even move.

“Might I make a suggestion?” she asks. She walks them over to a rack full of coats. The one she picks out is of a dark purple color and thick enough to keep him warm in the winter to come. “I think this should be just your size. And it really is your color.”

He glances at his master, who nods at him encouragingly. Slowly he slips the coat over his worn black tunic. It’s a bit too warm for the current weather, but it feels great, the fabric is smooth and the weight on his shoulder feels somehow comforting.

She makes him turn around once slowly before nodding to herself. “Yes, I think this is perfect.”

“But this is too expensive, we can’t accept this”, Babe says hurriedly.

She’s already cutting the price tag off. “No, please. I insist.” Babe doesn’t have a choice but to take it when she hands it to him.

As he turns to follow his master towards their horses, she softly says: “Now you be careful out there.”

‘You, too’, he wants to say. He hopes that the slight smile he gives her is enough instead.


End file.
